Safe and Sound
by CelestialLoverxxx
Summary: He was probably that part of her life which made everything alright. The part which made her feel safe. The part which was so strong, that it gave her that protection even after he was gone. Forever. "No one can hurt you now."


**Hello guys! Yes, I am back with another one-shot which just randomly came to me while listening to the song...I think it's not that great, but I couldn't resist posting it :D First off, the song is Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift, and I made a song fic based on it. Honestly, I am very nervous about this even though it's kinda crappy coz I really gotta work on one-shots :P **

**Okay anyway, hope you guys like it! :) Try listening to the song while you read it, it's kinda better.**

* * *

**Safe and Sound**

_I remember tears streaming down your face_

_When I said I'll never let you go_

_When all those shadows _

_Almost killed your light_

* * *

Sunlight broke in through the wider trees of the clearing, making the leaves glitter and the ground warm. Violet blossoms were scattered in every direction. What spoilt them was the blood on them.

It was beautiful. Heavenly, would be a better word to describe the little clearing in the woods of Magnolia.

But burnt trees and blood on the ground marked the remains of a battle.

"Natsu," Lucy repeated the name over and over again, pushing through the bushes. Sunlight burnt her face. "Natsu…"

She should not have agreed to split up with the enemy so close. He was reckless and he was an idiot. And he cared for her too much. Which was exactly the problem here.

Where was he? This beautiful place did nothing to help her find her lover any more than the blood did.

He couldn't be dead…Lucy forced herself to wrench that thought away. He promised to always be there for her. He loved her. He wouldn't leave her.

She crouched and trudged on further and further. It was a good way away from the clearing when Lucy heard her name being called out. The voice was broken, but she'd heard it all too many times.

"Natsu?!" she recognized at once. "Where are you, Natsu?!" she screamed.

She ran in the general direction of the sound. Slowly, a wheezing sound came to her ears, and she noticed a crooked lump of trees near the clearing. Natsu was propped up against it, looking misshaped for some reason.

He had been there all along, and she had been completely oblivious. She had just ran past him trying to find him, when he had been right beside her.

"Natsu," Lucy said again, immediately bending down. His face was obscured from view; she gently helped him towards the sunlit clearing. She could see him clearly then, and she covered her mouth in horror when she did.

"What happened to you?!"

His face was twisted in pain as he covered a gaping wound with his hands. The blood stained through his white shirt and covered his hands with it. His head was on the ground, so Lucy could hardly see his eyes.

Lucy felt like the air was knocked out of her. Trying to keep her tears back, she extended a shaking hand and pushed Natsu's away. The marks of a powerful spell were fading from his torso, but the wound remained.

"Lucy," Natsu sighed in relief. "You're here."

"Of course I'm here, you _idiot,_" Lucy made a sound between a sob and a laugh. "And the team's so far away, how do I make sure you're alright?"

She noticed the several injuries on his hands, his neck. Only his face was unscathed as he smiled reassuringly up at her.

The place was so beautiful. Yet what was happening was so deadly. The wars that had broken out ever since the Dark Guilds joined forced to form allies…Magnolia was in state no one ever thought was possible.

Wizards were being sent to fight every day, and so many didn't return…Lucy knew that she shouldn't have let Natsu fight alone this time, and yet…

"I'm going to try and heal you, okay?" she said quietly, scared.

Natsu was having trouble breathing, she could hear it. Fearing the worst, she bent down and placed an ear on his chest. His heart beat was slowing…Lucy hid her horror as she saw the shadows of the dark magic cast on him act upon him.

She quickly pulled away and touched her key. "Gate of the Lion, I open thee!" she cried feebly, her voice still weak from her own fighting. Loke didn't have any special healing powers, but spirits could always heal humans by using a little life force. Hence using Lucy's life force…

She didn't care.

But there was no brilliant flash of light and no Loke. Lucy tried again, and again. Her power was completely drained and she couldn't summon any of her spirits.

"Stop it!" Natsu gained some strength to shout. "Stop it," he repeated. "You don't need to strain yourself Lucy. Hey, I killed him. We did it!" He smiled at her.

She stared at him in disbelief. "You're in pain, Natsu," she cried. "I can't take you to Fairy Tail before it gets worse, and I can't summon Loke to help us!"

She didn't let him reassure her further. He was being strong. For her. It was always for her, everything he did was for her. And at that moment, she was angry that he was.

"Loke, help me!" she screamed out to the forest. "I need you!" She waved her key uselessly again, and then threw it away among the trees.

He could easily come out of his gate! He had done so several times when she needed him, and when she didn't have any magical energy left to summon him.

Natsu grimaced again and the shadows near his wound began to disappear. Lucy watched as the blood further stained their hands, vainly trying to figure how he had been hit this badly.

She crawled over to touch his face with her hand. "You'll be alright," she whispered to him. "I'll help you, we'll both be fine."

He wouldn't be able to make the journey even if she _could _carry him back to the team, or the guild. How could she help him? Was she going to lose him? The boy she loved, the one she was engaged to…that wouldn't happen. Not in the middle of that war going on in Magnolia...

"Stop…crying, Lucy," Natsu shushed her weakly. His right arm lifted to wipe her tears away. Lucy's sobs grew in volume as watched her best friend dying on the ground, smiling at her like nothing was wrong.

She bent down to kiss his lips, her tears falling on his face. When she pulled away, she saw him flinch as he touched his wound.

"Hey Lucy," he said after a while. "I'm dying, aren't I?"

She felt colder all of a sudden, as twilight approached. Her mouth trembled and she stroked his bright hair. "No."

"Don't lie," he sighed. "I wanted to tell you something."

She hated the way he was speaking. Like he was talking to her for the last time.

"What?"

"I'm sorry I forgot the ring when I proposed," he said cheekily. "And gave you a cheese-ball by mistake. I was nervous." He laughed but then quickly stopped when the pain in his torso built up.

Lucy's lips lifted up slightly and she made a strangled sound of laughter and crying again. "Why do you always make me feel everything's perfect, when it's not?"

Tears ran down her face as she realized this might probably be the last time Natsu cracked a joke to make her smile.

"Hey," Natsu raised his hand to cup her face. "It's okay. We had a great time together."

"Stop talking like you're dying!" Lucy cried. She was denying the rational part of her so much, it literally hurt. "You're not. You can't."

"Everyone has to die, Lucy," Natsu said quietly.

"Not you," she cried stubbornly. Her hand was on one of his, and the other was still stroking his face. "Don't. I love you."

"I always will."

The twilight light streamed through the trees. Lucy could hear Natsu's heart beat slowing; she could see how it hurt him to speak. Whoever did this to him…made sure he would suffer before he found death.

Natsu was always there. Barging in, irritating her, making her laugh, goofing about. There could not have been a better friend or a better lover than him.

"Why," her voice sounded desperate. "Why did you go fight him alone?"

"Because I wanted you to be safe. I want this war to be over, and I have to do my part."

Her chocolate brown eyes stared into his onyx ones, not showing any emotion except hopelessness.

"I'll never let you go," she whispered fiercely to him. "I won't."

She was so beautiful…Natsu was still smiling as tears finally ran down his face, falling onto the grass. He gripped her hand tighter, ignoring the pain.

"Don't leave me," he said suddenly. He couldn't keep being strong…he needed her. He loved her.

"I won't," she repeated.

* * *

_Just close your eyes_

_The sun is going down_

_You'll be alright_

_No one can hurt you now_

* * *

Auburn light filled the clearing and Natsu's breathing began to slow.

"No…no!" This was too fast for Lucy. She kissed him again, trying to keep his heartbeat going, trying to hold on to the person she couldn't live without as hard as she could.

"You're weird Luce," Natsu whispered to her with effort, his smile intact and his tears streaming. "And you'll be always be my beautiful Luce."

"Natsu, I—"

She couldn't finish. Natsu's chest stopped rising and fell for the last time. His eyes were half-lidded, the salty tears staining his cheeks.

With her hand trembling, Lucy shut his eyes. He looked so peaceful…he could have been sleeping among the blossoms for all she knew. He would wake up any moment and put an arm around Lucy, telling her all about how cool his fire magic suddenly was and how easily he had beat the enemy's ass.

Only this time, he wouldn't.

"It's okay," she mumbled brokenly to him. "No one can hurt you now. You're safe."

She crawled up beside him, holding on his hands. They were still warm, like they had always been. Since the first time they met at Hargeon, his hands had always comforted her.

She didn't know how long she lay there. When she woke up next, almost dried up from crying herself to sleep at night beside a Natsu who was no longer there…it was sunrise. She felt cold, lying there beside a person who no longer existed in this world.

Natsu was gone. He was really gone. The war couldn't hurt him any longer. And he had made sure it wouldn't hurt his Lucy.

* * *

_Come morning light_

_You and I'll be safe and sound_

* * *

She was so sure she was dreaming when she heard Gray's voice calling for her and Natsu. And then, when it was joined by Erza's, she wasn't so sure anymore.

She didn't bother calling out. It was not until Erza had found them and screamed out loud in horror, that she realized they were really there. The team was there.

"Lucy! Natsu!"

By the time Lucy was helped up by Gray and her blank eyes had processed everything, Erza didn't need any explanations from her.

Lucy didn't remember how she reached her house, but she wouldn't let go of Natsu until Gray carried her to her house. She couldn't stop crying as she retold what happened at the forest again, trembling each time she remembered Natsu's face. She didn't know why she was saying this, but somehow, a miniscule part of her chest felt lighter.

After Gray was gone, Lucy just stared at the pictures of her and Natsu on the wall. One in particular. The one taken just after their engagement. Mirajane had been ecstatic about the wedding.

Somewhere in the middle, a terrified, crying Wendy came to check on her, offering to take her back to Fairy Tail after healing Lucy's wounds. The real wound though, was hardly physical.

"I have to stay," Lucy mumbled to her, and the Sky dragon Slayer left, still hiccupping as she cried. She had summoned up the little courage to visit Lucy's house...she wasn't even sure whether she would be able to handle talking to her at that time.

Lucy simply closed her eyes and curled up in a ball on the bed, thinking. Natsu, Natsu, Natsu...it hurt to think about him. It hurt to think about how she had scolded him in the morning and how he had hugged her that day. She hadn't even said a proper goodbye...

Suddenly, a blinding flash of light made Lucy snap her eyes open to see her most trusted spirit standing in front of her. Loke stepped closer tentatively, glancing towards the picture Lucy had been looking at warily.

"You're late!" she screamed at him hoarsely. "You didn't come! You didn't save him!" she sobbed.

Loke looked pained as he tried to explain. "Your powers were dangerously low, Lucy, if I did, you could've died."

"Lies!" Lucy cried. Who cared if it was true anyway? Natsu could have lived…or was Loke that selfish of his love for Lucy? "You have come out so many times without me summoning you!"

"Your life was in danger, Lucy," he repeated. "And Natsu was already dying…there was nothing we could've done."

"I don't believe you," Lucy turned away.

Loke sighed.

Everything was silent. When Lucy turned back, he was gone. Regret filled her. But not enough to dull the pain of Natsu.

It was like a gaping hole. A puzzle piece missing. A piece of _her _missing.

* * *

_Don't you dare look out your window darling_

_Everything's on fire_

_The war outside our door keeps raging on_

_Hold on to this lullaby_

* * *

It wasn't raining. When Erza's 'funeral' had taken place, it had been. But this time, the day was bright and sunny. Just another normal day in Fairy Tail.

She hadn't wanted to come. To see Natsu being lowered in that coffin…they were supposed to have a life together! They had been the best of friends, and they were supposed to life a long life together. They had loved each other.

Lucy had thrown the bracelet he had gifted her off onto the bed. She couldn't wear it.

But she could breathe again. Seeing him, touching his face…she couldn't _hear _that beautiful voice or _feel _that warmth again, yet it didn't matter. She still loved him. She would hold onto his smile, his words and it would help through it all. Help her through _him, _help them through the war.

She ran a hand over his cold lips once and then walked away from the coffin. She didn't turn back to see the lid being closed or stay to hear the funeral speech being given.

He wouldn't mind. It was just that way with them.

"Lucy!" she raised her teary eyes to meet darker ones. Erza was crying too, but she was stronger. Gray was right behind them, shaking silently. Lucy couldn't bear to look at Wendy, at Makarov…

Erza put an arm around her friend's shoulders as they walked back towards the sunlight. "Will you be alright?"

Lucy sighed, gripping Erza's hand. "I have to be."

Maybe the war wasn't over. But in their own little ways, they could keep each other alright. Just like Natsu had.

* * *

_Just close your eyes_

_The sun is going down_

_You'll be alright_

_No one can hurt you now_

* * *

**And that's a wrap! I'd really love it if you guys actually listened to the song...it's pretty good. Please review, some kind person out there! **

**-Cessi-Chan (don't even know why I call myself that...O_o)**


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